Attorney General Hanaway expands Kratom investigation to target supply chain
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway has announced that her office is expanding its statewide investigation into kratom and 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH) products to include 10 additional entities across the supply chain including manufacturers, distributors, and retailers. This action brings the total number of entities under investigation to 22.
“Businesses owners who choose to manufacture, distribute, or sell unapproved, unsafe, opioid products in Missouri will be held to account,” said Attorney General Hanaway. “Our message to retailers: remove dangerous kratom alkaloid products from shelves immediately. We will continue to uncover the facts and root out bad actors at every level of the supply chain.”
The Attorney General’s Office is taking a holistic approach to investigating the kratom supply network, sending additional Civil Investigative Demands (CIDs) as authorized by statute to businesses believed to be manufacturing, selling, or distributing kratom products that may violate Missouri law. The Attorney General’s ongoing investigation seeks information regarding manufacturing, labeling, marketing, ingredients, testing, adverse events, supply sources, and alkaloid concentration.
The 10 CIDs being served can be read here:
Manufacturers: • AlphaBeta Brewery LLC d/b/a Alpha Brewing Company in St. Louis; • Kappa Alkaloids LLC in Kansas City; • NUNU LLC in Kansas City; and • Francis K. Kalaiwaa d/b/a Rize Botanicals in Gladstone. Distributors: • 72 Wholesale, LLC in St. Peters; • Blacktop Distribution LLC in Kansas City; and • Quality Wholesale STL, LLC in St. Louis. Retailers: • Big Dreams Ventures LLC d/b/a VEGA 7X in Joplin; • Green Kings LLC in Springfield; and • Mr. Tobacco Maplewood LLC in Wentzville. Because kratom products are not regulated like other drugs, potency and purity vary widely, and many products contain dangerous levels of 7-OH far exceeding what occurs naturally in the plant. 7-OH is extracted and consumed in concentrated forms that are addictive, dangerous, and function like opiates. In March, the CDC published data showing that annual hospitalizations from kratom exposure increased by 1,200 percent from 2015 to 2025. These products have resulted in the deaths of Missouri residents, and Missouri’s Department of Health and Senior Services has warned Missourians against using 7-OH.
As a result of the office’s earlier investigative efforts, the Attorney General filed suit against CBD American Shaman and related entities for the manufacture, distribution, and retail sale of kratom and its alkaloids on March 31, 2026.
The latest tranche of CIDs requires each recipient to disclose, among other things, detailed information about how their products are manufactured, labeled, and marketed; all ingredients used; any representations regarding safety, health effects, or “safe” dosage levels; communications with consumers about adverse effects; and any materials showing whether the company sold unapproved drugs in violation of federal or state law. The CIDs also seek information to determine whether these businesses failed to disclose the presence of psychoactive substances such as 7-OH to Missouri consumers.
Missourians who believe they were misled or harmed by kratom products are encouraged to file a complaint online at ago.mo.gov or call the Consumer Protection hotline at 800-392-8222. |
